Two wheeled roller skate

ABSTRACT

A two wheeled roller skate having supporting structure attachable to a shoe is disclosed. The supporting structure has forward and rearward wheel holders each consisting of a pair of portions disposed and spaced apart to receive a wheel between them, each such portion having a downwardly opening slot. Each wheel has a tread surface that is arcuate transversely considered and is supported by bearings that have surfaces arranged to take the load as the skate is tilted from side-to-side in use and include independently rotatable parts having projections slidably seated in the downwardly opening slots. Releasable keepers underlie the projections to block their escape from the slots in which they are seated but are movable to permit the wheels to be removed and replaced.

United States Patent Marks et al.

[ Sept. 24, 1974 [5 TWO WHEELED ROLLER SKATE 1,033,569 7/1958 Germany 280 11.22

[75] Inventors: Robert G. Marks, Walpole, Mass;

Robert E. Beaupre, 67 Jackson St., Primar y ExammerLeo Fr1ag11a Lynn Mass 01902 Assistant ExaminerMilton L. Smith [73] Assignee: said Beaupre, by said Marks [22] Filed: Dec. 13, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 314,747 [57] ABSTRACT A two wheeled roller skate having supporting struc- U-S- e ture to a hoe is disclosed The supporting Cl. tructure has forward and rearward wheel holders [58] Field of Search 280/ 11.23, 11.25, 11.22, each consisting f a pair f portions disposed and 280/7'13 1127; 308/190 spaced apart to receive a wheel between them, each 188 such portion having a downwardly opening slot. Each wheel has a tread surface that is arcuate transversely References Clted considered and is supported by bearings that have sur- UNITED STATES PATENTS faces arranged to take the load as the skate is tilted 988,533 4/1911 Zverina 280/11.23 from side-wsidefln use f independently 1,733,059 10 1929 Grinnen 280/1 1.23 tatable parts havmg PI'OJBCIIOIIS shdably seated 1n the 1,803,019 4/1931 Holm 301 /5.7 downwardly opening slots. Releasable keepers under- 1,948,105 2/1934 Ford 308/189 R lie the projections to block their escape from the slots 1 Brazel in are eated but are movable to the 3,086,787 4/1963 Wyche 280/1 1.19 wheels to be removed and replaced FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 592,486 2/1934 Germany 301/57 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures r" I I j /5' 1 L34 /4 /30 l l a y a l 1 /0A 1] 1] e t W- 1 1 1 T I I I9 3 /6 4 P4 22 PEA BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventional roller skates are widely used but have limitations in their use because they have double front and back wheels and because the tread surfaces of their wheels are flat. They are not, accordingly, well adapted for use where a closer approach to ice skating is wanted, in playing hockey-like games, for example.

At the present time, there is considerable interest in playing hockey-like games on paved surfaced with the players running but such games would obviously be faster and of more interest and more widely practiced if roller skates could be used.

THE PRESENT INVENTION The principal objective of the present invention is to provide two wheeled roller skates that enable their users to more closely simulate ice skating than is possible with four wheeled roller skates.

In accordance with the invention, this objective is attained by providing supporting structure attachable to a shoe with forward and rearward wheel holders each consisting of a pair of depending portions, each pair spaced apart to receive the appropriate one of the two wheels between it. Each wheel has a tread surface that is arcuate transversely considered.

A particular objective of the invention is to provide a connection between each wheel and its holder that includes a pair of bearing units provided with bearing surfaces disposed to accept loads substantially through the are within which the tread surface enables the skate to be tilted in use.

Another objective of the invention is to provide a connection between each wheel and its holder that is secure yet enables the wheel to be quickly and easily removed and replaced. This objective is attained by providing each of the portions of the supporting structure portions that establish the wheel holders with downwardly opening, transversely aligned slots and with the bearing means for each wheel including independently rotatable, outer members provided with outwardly disposed projections shaped and dimensioned to be slidably entered in and seated against the closed end of a slot. Each holder-establishing portion has a keeper underlying the seated projection to prevent its escape therefrom. Preferably, the keepers are resilient so that they are normally in their operative position but can be easily pried outwardly sufficiently to release the caught projections.

Yet another objective of the invention is to provide a strong, simple, and inexpensive supporting structure, an objective that is attained by providing a U-shaped frame to which the side plates are welded and which also has an outwardly disposed flange to which a plate is marginally riveted that is to have a shoe attached thereto. The side plates have the depending portions to which the wheels are connected.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings, a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated and in the drawings FIG. 1 is a side view of a two wheeled roller skate;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a section taken approximately along the indicated line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view of the skate as seen from the rear thereof; and FIG. 5 is a section taken approximately along the indicated lines 55 of FIG. 1.

THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION The two wheeled roller skate shown in the drawings consists of two side members 10 and 11 having outwardly disposed marginal stiffening flanges 10A and 11A, respectively. The side members 10 and 11 are welded to opposite sides of a frame 12 of U-shaped cross section and provide with an outwardly disposed marginal flange 12A of substantial width to which a sole plate, generally indicated at 13, is secured at appropriate intervals by rivets 14.

A shoe, which may be of any style or construction, is indicated at 15 and it may be attached to the sole plate 13 in any conventional way, typically by means of the rivets 14. It will be noted that the sole plate is shaped to have a rearward, elevated heel area 13A, a forward lower forepart area 13B and a forwardly and downwardly inclined shank area 13C and this shape is reflected in like portions of the side members 10 and I1 and the frame 12.

The wheel holders are established by providing each of the side members with forwardly and rearwardly located, downwardly disposed projecting portions indicated at 16 and 17, respectively, and each has a vertical, downwardly opening slot 18, shown as rectangular in shape.

The front and rear wheels 19 are identical and desirably are molded from a relatively hard elastomer with a tread surface that is arcuate, transversely considered. Each wheel 19, see FIG. 5, is to turn on ball bearing units, each including a part 20 molded in one side of a wheel 19 and provided with a hole 20A axially thereof for the free passage of an axle 21 on which the bearing unit parts 22 are a press fit. Each part 22 has an outwardly disposed projection 22A shown as square and dimensioned to be a sliding fit in a slot 18 and to project therethrough.

It will be noted that the proximate faces of the parts 20 and 22 that define the races for the balls 23 are V- shaped with one wall parallel to the axis of the wheel and the other wall inclined inwardly towards said axis at an angle of to said one wall so that the bearings are effective to accept the load as the skate is tilted to one side or the other in use.

Each projection 22A is held against escaping from its slot 18 by a resilient keeper 24 welded to the outer face of a side wall 11 as at 25 and shown as having a square hole 24A dimensioned to fit said projection. It will be noted that practically no strain is placed on the keepers 24, that each lies within the plane defined by the outer edges of the sides, and that each may be readily pried outwardly to free a projection 22 if a wheel has to be removed and will snap back against the side to which it is welded once the pry tool used is removed.

The supporting structure, while simple in construction, provides great strength to the skate and has holes 26 and 27 for the front and rear wheels, respectively, in order that the U-shaped frame 12 may reinforce the side members 10 and 11 as close as possible to the pro jections that establish the wheel holders.

I claim:

1. A two wheeled roller skate comprising a pair of wheels, supporting structure attachable to a shoe, and means rotatably connecting said wheels to said structure in longitudinal alignment, said structure including a pair of side plates, an upwardly opening U-shaped frame member to which said side plates are secured and which includes a marginal, outwardly disposed flange, and a sole plate to which the shoe is attachable and which is secured to said flange, and said side plates having transversely aligned front and rear portions extending below said frame member between which the appropriate one of the wheels is located and means connecting each wheel to the appropriate ones of said portlons.

2. The two wheeled roller skate of claim 1 in which each side plate includes an outwardly disposed stiffening flange.

3. The two wheeled roller skate of claim 2 in which the wheel connecting means are on the outer faces of said portions but inside the plane inclusive of their flanges.

4. A roller skate comprising wheels, supporting structure attachable to a shoe and including wheel holders 4 spaced lengthwise thereof, each holder including a pair of transversely spaced, downwardly disposed portions, and means rotatably connecting each wheel to the appropriate one of said pairs of portions, said means including bearing means for each wheel, each bearing means including axial, independently rotatable members one at each wheel side and each including an outwardly disposed projection, and each pair of portions having transversely aligned pairs of downwardly opening slots, the slots and projections being so shaped and dimensioned that the projections may be slidably entered in the appropriate slots and held against turning with the projections seated against their upper ends, and a resilient keeper plate for each slot including an attaching portion welded to the outer face of the appropriate slotted portion above the slot thereof and a retainer portion underlying the associated projection to prevent the projection from escaping from the proximate slot, the retainer portion of each keeper plate being so spaced from the attaching portion thereof that the retainer portion may be readily pried outwardly to free the associated projection. 

1. A two wheeled roller skate comprising a pair of wheels, supporting structure attachable to a shoe, and means rotatably connecting said wheEls to said structure in longitudinal alignment, said structure including a pair of side plates, an upwardly opening U-shaped frame member to which said side plates are secured and which includes a marginal, outwardly disposed flange, and a sole plate to which the shoe is attachable and which is secured to said flange, and said side plates having transversely aligned front and rear portions extending below said frame member between which the appropriate one of the wheels is located and means connecting each wheel to the appropriate ones of said portions.
 2. The two wheeled roller skate of claim 1 in which each side plate includes an outwardly disposed stiffening flange.
 3. The two wheeled roller skate of claim 2 in which the wheel connecting means are on the outer faces of said portions but inside the plane inclusive of their flanges.
 4. A roller skate comprising wheels, supporting structure attachable to a shoe and including wheel holders spaced lengthwise thereof, each holder including a pair of transversely spaced, downwardly disposed portions, and means rotatably connecting each wheel to the appropriate one of said pairs of portions, said means including bearing means for each wheel, each bearing means including axial, independently rotatable members one at each wheel side and each including an outwardly disposed projection, and each pair of portions having transversely aligned pairs of downwardly opening slots, the slots and projections being so shaped and dimensioned that the projections may be slidably entered in the appropriate slots and held against turning with the projections seated against their upper ends, and a resilient keeper plate for each slot including an attaching portion welded to the outer face of the appropriate slotted portion above the slot thereof and a retainer portion underlying the associated projection to prevent the projection from escaping from the proximate slot, the retainer portion of each keeper plate being so spaced from the attaching portion thereof that the retainer portion may be readily pried outwardly to free the associated projection. 